Repatriated Cubans get new truck, make legal bid to migrate <Chevy rafters

Mika

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Thu Jul-31-03 06:57 AM
Original message

Repatriated Cubans get new truck, make legal bid to migrate <Chevy rafters

Edited on Thu Jul-31-03 07:07 AM by Mika

Some of the ardent anti Castro DUers, in their expressions of support for illegal immigration, stated falsehoods that jail or execution awaits Cubans who make an illegal attempt to enter the USA. It is just not so. 1996 immigration accords between Cuba and the USA assure that they aren't persecuted or prosecuted (except for crimes like hijacking).

Cubans are offered over 20,000 legal US immigration visas per year. Not all are applied for.

This group of repatriated Cuban could have applied for a legal US visa all along, which means that they are subject to a US instigated background investigation. Instead they chose an illegal route, and recklessly endangered a small child with no life vest.

Repatriated Cubans get new truck, make legal bid to migrate
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/6419443.htm

The Cubans who converted a 1951 Chevy pickup into a boat and sailed it to within 40 miles of Florida last week got another truck and drove it through this city's streets Wednesday to the U.S. Interests Section to try a new - and legal - bid to go to America.

After arriving at the oceanfront mission in another vintage Chevy - this one bright blue - the group turned in the completed immigration forms that U.S. officials had given them last week on the high seas.

U.S. officials said they would respond within two months to the requests to emigrate legally.

-

The nine men, two women and one small child were at sea for 31 hours before the plane spotted them. The truck was sunk as a hazard to ocean navigation.

Under U.S. immigration policies, Cubans who reach U.S. shores are allowed to stay while those caught at sea are usually returned.

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Judi Lynn

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Thu Jul-31-03 07:13 AM
Response to Original message

1. Here's a photo of some of the Cubans who "fled" giving an interview

back home, in Cuba.

From left: Omar Amuary Garcia, Eduardo Perez, Sixto Osmany Brito, Ariel Diego Marcel and Gorka Marrero Auiroz, part of the Twelve Cuban migrants who attempted to cross the Florida Straights Wednesday, July 16, 2003 in a boat fashioned out of a 1951 Chevy pickup truck driving it within 40 miles of the United States speak to reporters in Havana, Cuba, Thursday July 24, 2003. According to US Coast Guard they were spotted, taken off and returned to the island. (AP Photo/Jose Goitia)

Photo shared by a busy DU poster on another message board.

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Mika

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Thu Jul-31-03 08:17 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. They don't look too abused

They live in decent housing.
They make a decent living.
They have good organic food sources, and look well fed.
They have universal education.
They have universal health care.
They had two trucks.

By Caribbean standards they live well in Cuba.

But the US's Cuban Adjustment Act offers so many immigration perks that are offered to Cubans only (including illegal Cuban entrants) that it makes the trip worthwhile.

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yellowcanine

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Thu Jul-31-03 08:26 AM
Response to Original message

3. What happened to the 51 Chevy Pickup?

I hope the Coast Guard didn't sink it. Those old pickups make great street rods. One with that kind of history would bring a lot of money on ebay.

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Mika

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Thu Jul-31-03 08:30 AM
Response to Reply #3

4. It was sunk by the USCG

In the lead post there is this snip from the article,
The truck was sunk as a hazard to ocean navigation.

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yellowcanine

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Thu Jul-31-03 09:17 AM
Response to Reply #4

6. Maybe one of those treasure hunters will salvage it.

How much damage could a little old chevy pickup do to an oil tanker or a cargo ship? Guess it could mess up one of those luxury yachts, though. On the other hand, all the would have had to do was tow it into Gitmo. I am sure the navy guys there could have had fun with it.

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Maeve

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Thu Jul-31-03 08:36 AM
Response to Reply #3

5. Now if I can just get Dinah Shore's voice out of my head...

"See the USA in your Chevrolet! America is asking you to call!"

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